This invention relates generally to the apparatus and method for food processing in making wrapping sheets. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved wrapping sheet apparatus and method for making thin and continuous wrapping sheets which is suitable for cutting and packaging into various sizes thus are very convenient for sale as a marketable packages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As food processing machines becomes popular, they have been broadly employed in making many different kinds of food products, several prior art patents disclose apparatus and methods for making dough or dough sheets. Rohrbacher et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,404 entitled "Pastry Forming Apparatus and Method" (issued on Nov. 3, 1970), an apparatus and method for automatically and continuously providing individual filled pastries. The apparatus and method are for preparing foodstuffs such as blintzes, crepe suzettes and other similar pastries. It discloses a method to process batter to provide a layer of liquid of uniform width and thickness for individual pastry leaves. The use of drums to pick up liquid batter by surface adhesion is disclosed. But the liquid picked by the rotating drum is then deposited on a conveyor as a web to be cooked on the conveyor. It does not teach a technique to make long and continuous sheet suitable for making packaged wrapping sheets of different sizes suitable for sale on the market thus allowing an end user to apply these wrapping sheets for various individual purposes.
In another U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,805, entitled "Pastry Product Production System" (issued on Mar. 2, 1971), Meyer discloses a pastry production system for programmed sheeting, forming, cutting and finishing operations. A sheeting means is employed for receiving pastry dough and rolling it into continuous sheet. The system also includes variable speed driving means, makeup conveyor means for receiving the dough sheet. A control unit is used to control and synchronize the operations. Meyer's system includes several `sheeting means` to make continuous sheet and the thickness of the sheet is controlled by complicated variable speed driving means. Meyer's system is not only very complicate and expensive, it also requires the process to begin with a dough which requires separate processes before Meyer's system can be applied to make the continuous sheet. Meyer's system still does not provide an automated and practical system to conveniently make continuous sheet which would enable one to make packaged wrapping sheets of various sizes for sale on the market.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,441 entitled "Device for Processing Dough" (issued on Mar. 12, 1974), Ohkawa discloses a device for processing dough. Dough sheets are formed and baked by injecting the dough in a hopper from a flat nozzle by a gear pump in an longitudinal oscillating manner which moves toward and away from a rotating drum periodically. The drum is heated and the dough sheet is baked on it. The dough sheet is then released from the drum by a releasing plate in contact with the drum. Again, this process has to begin with the dough that is performed. Additionally, the apparatus as disclosed by Ohkawa does not provide a means to make continuous sheet for cutting into various sizes suitable for flexible applications.
Morikawa et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,915 entitled "Apparatus for Producing A Dough Roll" (issued on Mar. 5, 1991) an apparatus for producing a dough roll. The problems in producing croissants or butter rolls with irregularly shaped dough rolls due to the deviation of the center line of a dough piece from the direction of the advancing conveyor for conveying the dough thereon are eliminated. A pair of vertically juxtaposed rollers including a upper roller and a lower roller are provided to prevent lateral deformation of the rear portion of the dough piece where it passes between the pair of rollers. Morikawa's apparatus provides a useful configuration for making individual dough rolls. The process has to start with pre-formed dough. Also, it does not teach a method or provide a technique to resolve the difficulties in making continuous wrapping sheet.
Therefore, a need still exists in the art of food processing to provide an apparatus and teach a method to produce continuous dough sheet directly from flour, wherein the continuous wrapping sheets are suitable for cutting into different sizes for various applications. Particularly, there is a need for producing such continuous dough sheet of uniform thickness and of durable strength to sustain further processing such as deep flying.